Blue Bridge repair in Craighall Park stalled as community raises concerns
Months after flooding damaged the iconic Blue Bridge, residents are calling for transparency and accountability as repair delays continue.
The Blue Bridge in Delta Park remains closed to the public as urgent repair work continues, but the wait has sparked frustration among residents. The pedestrian bridge, damaged by flooding in March 2025, is undergoing a R6m refurbishment project that includes new steel columns, underpinning of abutments, and erosion control measures.
Read more: Blue Bridge repairs set to continue as weather shapes timeline
Originally expected to take two months, the repair timeline has become weather-dependent, with heavy rainfall forcing construction teams to repeatedly pause work. Kwazelela Mcetywa, head of infrastructure development at the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), said safety is paramount: workers must exit the stream whenever water levels rise, delaying progress.
Despite assurances that the budget remains unchanged, community leaders have voiced serious concerns. Newly elected ward councillor Renate van Onselen and CraigPark Residents Association (CRA) chair Albert de Bondt have criticised the city for a lack of transparency over the R6m project, questioning the quality and permanence of the repairs and citing difficulties in accessing documentation such as drawings, scope of work, and bill of quantities.
Also read: Repairs finally begin on Blue Bridge in Craighall Park
Residents have gone further, funding temporary bridges themselves to restore access after the flood, maintaining the riverbank, and cleaning the site, work that has diverted community resources from other initiatives. There is now talk of legal action and formal requests for information if the city does not provide clarity.
“People are willing to be patient, but they want answers and reassurance that the bridge will last,” De Bondt said. “The community has invested time and money, and it’s only fair to know how the city is managing this project.”
The publication reached out to the JRA on January 19 for further comment, and this story will be updated with its response. For now, pedestrians must continue using the two nearby footbridges across the Braamfontein Spruit, while the JRA maintains that the bridge will reopen as soon as it is safe and meets all engineering standards.
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